Tag: the war on (some) drugs

Matt Gaetz advocated drug-testing recipients of public assistance, but a new report alleges the lawmaker used ecstasy

A New York Times report about a Justice Department investigation into GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida includes an allegation that the lawmaker took the drug ecstasy before sexual encounters.

The Times report, published Thursday, described several unnamed sources as saying Gaetz had paid women for sex. Two sources told The Times that some of the people involved, including Gaetz, had used ecstasy beforehand.

Gaetz has denied ever paying for sex and has said that all the allegations against him are false.

During his time in Florida’s Legislature, Gaetz advocated requiring recipients of public assistance to pass a drug test.

“I strongly support drug-testing for welfare recipients,” Gaetz said in a tweet in March 2011, when he was in Florida’s House of Representatives. “Applying for welfare is voluntary, if you don’t want to get tested don’t apply.”

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Cannabis compound inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication in human lung cells

Researchers in the United States have conducted a study showing that a cannabis plant compound inhibited infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in human lung cells.

SARS-CoV-2 is the agent responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that continues to sweep the globe posing a threat to global public health and the worldwide economy.

Marsha Rosner from the University of Chicago in Illinois and colleagues found that cannabidiol (CBD) and its metabolite 7-OH-CBD potently blocked SARS-CoV-2 replication in lung epithelial cells.

The CBD inhibited viral gene expression and reversed many of the effects the virus has on host gene transcription.

The compound also induced the expression of interferons – cell signaling proteins that are produced by host cells as an early response to viral invasion.

Furthermore, the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was up to an order of magnitude lower in a cohort of patients who had been taking CBD, compared with matched patients who had not been taking CBD.

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New York Legalizes Recreational Marijuana

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today signed legislation (S.854-A/A.1248-A) legalizing adult-use cannabis, fulfilling a key component of his 2021 State of the State agenda. The bill signing comes after the Governor, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie announced this past Sunday, March 28, that an agreement had been reached on the legislation. The bill establishes the Office of Cannabis Management to implement a comprehensive regulatory framework that covers medical, adult-use and cannabinoid hemp. The bill also expands New York State’s existing medical marijuana and cannabinoid hemp programs. The legislation provides licensing for marijuana producers, distributors, retailers, and other actors in the cannabis market, and creates a social and economic equity program to assist individuals disproportionately impacted by cannabis enforcement that want to participate in the industry.

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